Alex Spillius is The Daily Telegraph's Washington Correspondent.

Barack Obama needs a touch of the Scargills

DEMOCRATS must be tearing their hair out at Barack Obama's limp performance over the past few days. The economy is in meltdown and their candidate has frozen. His performance in Colorado yesterday. As an analysis of what has gone wrong, it was fine; as a call to arms it was pretty hopeless.

Mr Obama doesn't seem to have many angry bones in his body, and there is nothing he can do about that. He doesn't need to start banging his lectern and wagging his finger. But he does need to start laying out in simple terms what he will do for the economy, and moreover make it sound believable, as if like he really cares – a knack possessed by both Clintons.

McCain, after tripping himself up on Monday, when he said the fundamentals of the economy were sound (see here for a Colbert Report spoof , has since recovered, and has been denouncing capital's greed with all the ardour of Arthur Scargill.

Perhaps I am completely wrong, and what voters want in these troubled times is a steady voice in the storm. But it is more likely Obama is in danger of squandering the financial crisis, the greatest gift fate could have dealt his candidacy.